TS/MA-5B Euclid
The TS/MA-5B Euclid 'is a mass-produced multi-role mobile armor developed by the Atlantic Federation to replace the Dagger-series mobile suits as its front-line combat unit. Technology & Combat Characteristics The Euclid is essentially a greatly simplified version of the prototype 'TSX/MA-4QF Thales, which drew especially from the Chaos and was intended as a spiritual successor to the old TS-MA2mod00 Möbius Zero. It retains the same sophisticated positron reflector as the previous mobile armors developed by the Atlantic Federation, projected from a pair of reflection panels to each side of the mobile armor, which can block all beam and most physical ranged attacks. However, the positron reflector has one weakness: it is vulnerable to beam-based and anti-beam-coated close-range weapons such as beam sabers. The Euclid's armament is fairly basic, consisting of two high-energy beam cannons and a pair of gatling guns. Both of these weapons are fixed in a forward-firing position on the front of the mobile armor, greatly limiting their field of fire. Though the beam cannons can rotate approximately 30 degrees horizontally, they are unable to fire to the side of the mobile armor. This greatly reduces the Euclid's field of fire, though either weapon is powerful enough to cause severe damage to a mobile suit when it hits. To partially offset this vulnerability as well as its positron reflector's inability to counter mobile suits' close-combat weaponry, the Euclid also has thick conventional armor, and is designed with high speed and maneuverability for its size. Armaments ;* M464 "Degtyarev" high-energy beam cannon x2 :Mounted laterally on the Euclid's main body, these two powerful beam cannons are its main weapon, each one capable of inflicting severe damage to nearly any mobile suit or aircraft. These weapons are also sufficiently powerful to pose a threat to many heavier targets, such as battleships. They are fixed forward, but can tilt approximately 30 degrees upwards or downwards. ;* M551 52mm 7-barrel Gatling machine gun :A pair of medium gatling guns, mounted to the Euclid's main body. Though fixed forward like its beam cannons and able to fire only at targets directly ahead of the Euclid, these weapons are effective in missile interception as well as able, with concentrated fire, to overwhelm the armor of most mobile suits. System Features ;*"Schneid Schutz" positron reflector shield :Like its predecessors, the Destroy is equipped with a positron reflector, capable of deflecting even the most powerful beam cannons as well as most physical attacks such as missiles or shell-firing artillery. However it can be penetrated by certain types of close-range beam and anti-beam-coated physical mêlée weapons. History In CE 75, the Atlantic Federation begins to move away from humanoid mobile suits and back towards mobile armors as frontline units. The first evidence of this is with the TSX-MA24F Chaos, though it is soon followed by the much larger Zamza-Zah as well as the Gells-Ghe, then applied to even larger and more powerful GFAS-X1 Destroy. Finally, the Atlantic Federation begins development of a new, mass-production model mobile armor, based on the same technology. Their first attempt was the high-performance '''TSX/MA-4QF Thales, '''TS-MA2mod00 Möbius Zero. However, despite its high combat capability the Thales is deemed too complex and expensive for mass-production, and is discontinued after only a single prototype is built. The same basic frame was then used to produce the heavily simplified TS/MA-5B Euclid, which is rapidly manufactured in huge numbers to supply the Atlantic Federation's remaining major military bases at Panama, Arzachel, Heaven's Base and Daedalus, with the intent of totally replacing the reliable but outdated Dagger-series, completing the Atlantic Federation's shift away from humanoid mobile suits and back towards mobile armors. It also aims to counter the more high-performance mobile suits being fielded by both ZAFT and the Eurasian Federation. The Euclid's first combat deployment is during the battle of Heaven's Base, during which the new mobile armors, alongside a single Destroy and multiple Zamza-Zahs, would prove instrumental in repelling the initial assault of the joint ZAFT/Eurasian fleet. Despite the defeat of the Atlantic Federation and the fall of Heaven's Base, the Euclid is deemed a success, and would continue to participate in the remaining battles of the war until its end. A number of Euclid, along with remaining Daggers and Windams still in Atlantic Federation service, would join Eurasian Federation, ZAFT, and Orb forces in the attack on the superweapon Requiem during the Second Battle of Daedalus, which would be the final battle of the war.